The Hinze Dam is a
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
and
earth-fill embankment
Embankment may refer to:
Geology and geography
* A levee, an artificial bank raised above the immediately surrounding land to redirect or prevent flooding by a river, lake or sea
* Embankment (earthworks), a raised bank to carry a road, railwa ...
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...
with an
un-gated spillway across the
Nerang River
The Nerang River is a perennial river located in South East Queensland, Australia. Its catchment lies within the Gold Coast local government area and covers an area of . The river is approximately in length.
Course and features
The Nerang Rive ...
in the
Gold Coast hinterland of
South East
The points of the compass are a set of horizontal, radially arrayed compass directions (or azimuths) used in navigation and cartography. A compass rose is primarily composed of four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west—each sepa ...
,
Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia. The main purpose of the dam is for
potable
Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...
water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...
of the
Gold Coast
Gold Coast may refer to:
Places Africa
* Gold Coast (region), in West Africa, which was made up of the following colonies, before being established as the independent nation of Ghana:
** Portuguese Gold Coast (Portuguese, 1482–1642)
** Dutch G ...
region.
The impounded
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
is called Advancetown Lake.
Hinze Dam was named in honour of local pioneers Carl and Johanna Hinze (grandparents of Queensland politician
Russ Hinze
Russell James Hinze (19 June 1919 – 29 June 1991) was a politician in Queensland, Australia, in the 1970s and 1980s. He presided over an era of controversy that included the setting up of the Racing Development Fund, ministerial re-zonings an ...
) who lived in the valley that was flooded by the dam. The dam is almost always full, reaching 96% of capacity even during dry spells.
Location and features
![Hinze Dam wall and park in Advancetown, Queensland](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/ba/Hinze_Dam_wall_and_park_in_Advancetown%2C_Queensland.jpg)
The dam is located in
Advancetown, south-west of
Nerang
Nerang is a town and suburb in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Nerang had a population of 16,864 people.
Geography
The Nerang River flows through the locality from south to east, passing through the town. The river ult ...
immediately downstream of the
confluence
In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...
of the Nerang River and Little Nerang Creek.
![Hinze Dam - Open Space (December 2011)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/15/Hinze_Dam_-_Open_Space_%28December_2011%29.png)
The earthfill dam structure is high and long. The dam wall holds back the reservoir when at full capacity. From a
catchment area
In human geography, a catchment area is the area from which a location, such as a city, service or institution, attracts a population that uses its services and economic opportunities. Catchment areas may be defined based on from where people are ...
of that includes the
Numinbah Valley
Numinbah Valley is a rural locality in the City of Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. In the , Numinbah Valley had a population of 218 people.
Geography
The Numinbah Valley is a valley and locality in the Gold Coast hinterland in South East Qu ...
and
Springbrook Springbrook may refer to:
Places Australia
* Springbrook, Queensland
** Springbrook National Park, Queensland
** Springbrook State School, a heritage-listed building in the park
** Springbrook Road, a heritage-listed road
Canada
* Springbrook, ...
Plateau, with most being contained within state forests and
national park
A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...
s, the dam creates Advancetown Lake, with a surface area of . The uncontrolled un-gated spillway, located at
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
, has a discharge capacity of .
Initially managed by the Gold Coast City Council
The City of Gold Coast is the local government area spanning the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and surrounding areas. With a population of 606,774 it is the second most populous local government area in Australia (City of Brisbane being the ...
up until 2008, the dam is now managed by Seqwater
Seqwater is a statutory authority of the Government of Queensland that provides bulk water storage, transport and treatment, water grid management and planning, catchment management and flood mitigation services to the South East Queensland reg ...
.
The dam also provides the benefit of flood mitigation
In environmental engineering, the flood mitigation involves the management and control of flood water movement, such as redirecting flood run-off through the use of floodwalls and flood gates, rather than trying to prevent floods altogether. It a ...
to populated areas along the Nerang River downstream of the dam.[
]
Construction
The Southport Town Council
The Town of Southport was a local government area in South East Queensland, Australia.
History
On 11 November 1879, the Nerang and Coomera Divisions was created as two of 74 divisions within Queensland under the ''Divisional Boards Act 1879''.
...
planned the dam in 1947. It was completed in 1976 and expanded in 1989 and 2011.
Stage One was completed in 1976, and provided of potable water storage and supply.
Stage Two was completed in 1989, when storage of potable water was increased to . This stage was completed at a cost of A$42 million and involved raising the main embankment, spillway and intake towers by approximately to create a surface area of .[
In 2004 the Gold Coast City Council resolved to construct Stage 3 of the dam. When the dam reached full capacity, on 7 January 2008 work began on Stage 3] and was completed on 19 December 2011. After nearly four years of construction the construction cost was A$395 million. The Stage 3 works increased the height of the dam wall from to , and increased the reservoir capacity from to , with the added purpose of flood mitigation, beyond water supply. Stage 3 construction was completed by the Hinze Dam Alliance, a joint venture between Seqwater, with private sector partners URS Corporation
URS Corporation (formerly United Research Services) was an engineering, design, and construction firm and a U.S. federal government contractor. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, URS was a full-service, global organization with office ...
, Sinclair Knight Merz
Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) was a private Australian company operating across Asia Pacific, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The company had global capability in strategic consulting, engineering and project delivery.
Jacobs Engi ...
and Thiess. The additional works with a higher dam wall provided homes below the dam wall with flood protection from a 1974 Brisbanestyle flood event.
The eastern boat ramp is located in Mudgeeraba and features a craft and paddle launching platform as well as toilets and bin facilities. The western boat ramp, located in Springbrook, contains the same amenities with a smaller car park. In 2012 a body was discovered by fishermen.
Recreation
Advancetown Lake is a popular recreational facility for Gold Coast residents. Since the Stage 3 upgrade, recreational activities allowed include walking, electric or manual-powered boating, fishing, biking and horse riding. The facilities are open from 6 am to 6 pm daily. No camping is permitted around the lake. Dogs are also not permitted, while swimming has been strongly discouraged. An interpretive centre was opened on 19 December 2011, along with new parking, walking trails, toilet facilities and barbecue areas.
The final design of the dam was criticised in the media and by residents and politicians, some describing it as a "concrete bunker". The criticism arose because of a reduction in playground, boating and barbecue facilities; the banning of dogs; the extensive use of concrete; and because many of the facilities are either far from the water's edge or below the dam wall with no water views.
Advancetown Lake has two boat ramps, one on the western and another on the eastern side.
Fishing
The dam is stocked with Mary River cod
The Mary River cod (''Maccullochella mariensis'') is a species of temperate perch native to the coastal Mary River (Queensland), Mary River system of southern Queensland, Australia. Mary River cod are one of Australia's most endangered freshwa ...
, silver perch Silver perch is a common name for several fishes and may refer to:
*''Bairdiella chrysoura'', native to the east coast of the United States
*''Bidyanus bidyanus'', endemic to Australia
*''Leiopotherapon plumbeus
''Leiopotherapon plumbeus'', know ...
, golden perch
The golden perch (''Macquaria ambigua'') is a medium-sized, yellow or gold-coloured species of Australian freshwater fish found primarily in the Murray-Darling River system, though a subspecies is found in the Lake Eyre-Cooper Creek system, an ...
, southern saratoga
The southern saratoga (''Scleropages leichardti''), also known as the spotted bonytongue, spotted saratoga, or simply saratoga, is a freshwater bony fish native to Australia. It belongs to the subfamily Osteoglossinae, or arowanas, a primitive gro ...
and bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gui ...
, while spangled perch
''Leiopotherapon unicolor'', the spangled grunter or spangled perch is a species of ray-finned fish, a grunter from the family Terapontidae. It is endemic to Australia.
Description
''Leiopotherapon unicolor'' has a slender, oval shaped body whi ...
are also present naturally. Banded grunter have been found in the lake and being illegally introduced, it is recommended that, if caught, they should be destroyed. A Gold Coast City Council permit is required to fish in the dam. A Queensland State Government Stocked Impoundment Permit is not required.
From December 2018, Queensland Health
Queensland Health is the name of the overall public health service in the state of Queensland, Australia. Like all other states and territories in Australia, the Queensland Government provides low- or no-cost primary, secondary, and tertiary ...
advise not to consume fish from Hinze Dam due to elevated levels of mercury in recent fish samples.
2018 Commonwealth Games
The Gold Coast hosted the 2018 Commonwealth Games
The 2018 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXI Commonwealth Games and also known as Gold Coast 2018, was an international multi-sport event for members of the Commonwealth that were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, bet ...
. The area surrounding the Hinze Dam was originally proposed as the location for the mountain bike
A mountain bike (MTB) or mountain bicycle is a bicycle designed for off-road cycling. Mountain bikes share some similarities with other bicycles, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain, which ...
competition. A new course was constructed to meet international competition requirements. Some government representatives as well as some mountain bikers have sought to have the competition moved away to the unsecured trails at Nerang State Forest. The Gold Coast Mountain Bike Club maintain the course and sometimes host a race on the circuit the first Sunday of each month.
See also
* Sports on the Gold Coast, Queensland
Sport on the Gold Coast has a rich history. As a popular tourist destination leisure sports like Golf, but most particularly sports associated with its famous beaches, have always been popular. A number of surf clubs line Gold Coasts beaches, w ...
* List of dams in Queensland
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hinze Dam
Advancetown Lake
2018 Commonwealth Games venues
Sports venues on the Gold Coast, Queensland
Buildings and structures on the Gold Coast, Queensland
Dams completed in 1976
Dams in Queensland
Mountain biking venues
1976 establishments in Australia
Embankment dams
Rock-filled dams
Earth-filled dams